Can Swordtail live with Tiger Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Swordtail is 5.5× the length of Tiger Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Swordtail is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Tiger Shrimp colony. It may well be fine — it simply has not been confirmed by a source, and an unverified guess is not worth the colony.
- No overlapping water hardness: Swordtail wants 12–30 dGH but Tiger Shrimp wants 3–8 dGH.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 7–7.2.
Side-by-side
| Swordtail | Tiger Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 72–82°F | 68–77°F |
| pH | 7–8.4 | 6.2–7.2 |
| Hardness (GH) | 12–30 dGH | 3–8 dGH |
| Adult size | 5.5" | 1" |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 29 gal | 5 gal |
Together, plan on at least 29 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Swordtail (to keep Tiger Shrimp):
- Black Molly — 4", peaceful
- Molly — 4", peaceful
- Thick-lipped Gourami — 3.5", peaceful
Instead of Tiger Shrimp (to keep Swordtail):
- Ghost Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful
- Bamboo / Wood Shrimp — 3.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Swordtail, Tiger Shrimp →Everything compatible with Swordtail · …with Tiger Shrimp